The 15th DIY & Home Improvement Conference, organized by Kaydakis Media, took place on Wednesday, November 13, at the Benaki Museum Auditorium. The event highlighted the challenges faced by the Home & Garden market and showcased how digital transformation and the shift towards sustainability are reshaping the industry.

This exclusive B2B networking event focused on collaboration models, sustainable business practices, customer experience, and emerging trends and strategies in the Home Improvement sector.

The Gold sponsors for this year’s conference was Praktiker Hellas and Vitex, with additional sponsorship by Bostik, Heracles Group, Kärcher, and Leroy Merlin.

Executives from top management levels of major companies attended, representing diverse delegations from all departments of major retail chains.

Distinguished Speakers and International Reach Prominent speakers from Greece, the UK, Ireland, and Germany shared their insights, experiences, and concerns with participants. This year’s event had a significant international footprint, featuring senior executives from major DIY & Home Improvement chains from Albania and Bulgaria, alongside notable European speakers.

Trends & Practices in Home Improvement

The conference was opened by Prokopis Karydakis, CEO of Karydakis Media, who emphasized the importance of growth and technology with a human-centered approach.

Next, SKAI’s economic analyst and journalist Konstantinos Davlos analyzed the crucial role that real estate plays in the prospects of the Greek economy, especially in relation to the country’s demographic challenges.

Steve Collinge, Managing Director of Insight Retail Group, outlined the upcoming opportunities and challenges in the Home Improvement market, emphasizing consumer needs that will shape future market trends.

Panagiotis Gezerlis, Founder & Chairman of Convert Group, demonstrated how brands make strategic decisions based on real-time commerce data, supported by Artificial Intelligence.

Paul Candon, CEO of United Hardware Limited in Ireland, showcased the advantages of small and medium-sized enterprises forming cooperative alliances. He highlighted how collaboration has enabled independent members to gain collective buying power and remain competitive in a market dominated by large chains.

Sustainable Construction & Materials

The second segment of the conference focused on sustainability in construction and renovation materials for residential, hotel, and large-scale projects—a critical issue that garnered significant interest from leading building material industries. The session also featured participation from top construction firms and traditional building material retailers.

Jaime Pitcairn, Technical Director of Corporate Sustainability at Ricardo, discussed actions and strategies that can help the sector reduce Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions. He explained that reducing these emissions not only benefits the environment but also leads to more efficient and cost-effective processes.

Margarita Kyanidou, architect and Founder of Onus Architecture Studio, provided insights on sustainable buildings, certified eco-friendly construction materials, and the importance of cradle-to-cradle practices.

Evangelia Glezakou, Senior Sustainability Manager at Dimand, spoke on the role of ESG-compliant buildings and shared methods and approaches for achieving low-carbon structures.

Vasilis Vlachogiannis, Commercial Director at Vitex, underscored the importance of incorporating ESG criteria and product responsibility within the paint industry, suggesting joint actions to make environmentally unfriendly products more expensive.

Omnichannel Approach & Customer Experience

The conference also featured a presentation by Vasilis Lampropoulos and Giannis Servos, Commercial and Sales Directors at Praktiker Hellas, who provided concrete examples of how AI can enhance retail growth by improving the customer experience.

Alexander Kremer, Owner and General Manager of Kremer Gartencenter, demonstrated how a traditional garden and agricultural store can be transformed into an immersive consumer experience and become a lifestyle megastore.

Christos Skoularikos, Services & Business Development Director at Public Group, discussed the challenges and trends that a Home Improvement chain faces and revealed how an omnichannel approach can create an unparalleled customer experience in Home Connectivity.

An especially moving presentation was given by Vaggelis Avgoulas, Founder and President of the NGO “With Other Eyes,” who, as a blind attorney, immersed the audience into complete darkness to share his perspective and promote the visibility and inclusion of people with disabilities.

Home Improvement Lifetime Award

Andreas Varsamis, Founder of Vernilac, was honored with the “Lifetime Achievement Award” for his extensive contributions to the consumer and building paint industry.

Born in 1927, Varsamis took over his family’s paint shop in Metaxourgeio in 1945, trading car paints and furniture varnishes in a neighborhood known for its workshops. He established Vernilac S.A. in 1960 and moved the factory to Mandra, Attica, in 1966. Today, the company exports to 21 countries. Besides his pivotal role in the paint and varnish sector in Greece, he is also a successful businessman in the shipping industry and a father to four sons and eight grandchildren.